Cars, rolle bolle and laser tag part of annual BA Days in Ghent

This year, there are all kinds of new events for people of all ages at the Belgian American Days in Ghent.

The celebration runs from today until Sunday starting with a bean bag tournament and ending with a dinner at St. Eloi.

“On Friday night, there will be a beer and wine tasting. The beer is provided from the Brau Brothers out of Lucan. It is 10 dollars for the tasting, which also includes the musical comedy act at 9 p.m. You can choose to go to just one or the other, but either way it is 10 dollars,” Bill Maertens, co-chair of the Belgian American Days committee, said.

Steve Sussner is also a co-chair for the event.

“On Saturday, the new events are the Mello Yello event, laser tag, the pedal tractor pull and Reed’s Read Storybook Walk. The laser tag is through the company that does our inflatables and will be fun for the kids. We used to do Reed’s Run, but this storybook walk is something his mom started, so we chose to do that instead,” Maertens said.

The Belgian American Days will also feature events they have done in the past including the 7th Annual Belgian American Days Car Show on Saturday. Organizers are hoping for a good turnout, said Joette Remme, of the Ghent Cruisers car club.

“The weather is forecast to be really nice,” Remme said, which bodes well for the show. Remme said the Belgian American Days Car Show has really grown in the past several years. Last year, there were 75 entries.

“It fills up several streets, and it makes a nice show,” she said.

Registration is from 9:30-11 a.m., with show times from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Cars, trucks, motorcycles and tractors are all welcome.

Awards will be given at 3 p.m., with categories including Sweet Sixteen, tractors, motorcycles, ratrods, people’s choice, mayor’s choice and best of show. Remme also said there will be door prizes for show entrants.

“Everyone gets a door prize, and they’re good quality prizes,” she said.

The entry fee is $10 for the first vehicle and $5 for each one after that. At the car show, there will also be a trivia contest and food stand.

There will also be rolle bolle all weekend long with the hat and team tournaments.

Schedule

Today

6 p.m. Bean bag tournament

7 p.m. Beer tasting by Brau Brothers/ wine tasting

8 p.m. Rolle bolle hat tournament

9 p.m. Two Drunk Too Fish: comedy-music act

Saturday

8 a.m. KB’s open for breakfast

8 a.m. Softball tournament begins

9:30 a.m. Car show registration begins

10 a.m. Zumba

10 a.m. Farmers market

10 a.m. Bingo

10 a.m. Jessica’s Little Rascals Petting Zoo

11 a.m. 7th Annual Car Show, West McQuestion Street

11 a.m. Bean bag tournament

11 a.m. Kids games, park

11 a.m. Zumbatomic

11 a.m. Caricature artists

11 a.m. Rolle bolle team tournament

Noon Inflatable rides and laser tag

1 p.m. Bingo

1 p.m. Reed’s Read Storybook Walk, park

2 p.m. Pedal tractor pull

4:30 p.m. Grand parade

following the parade: SuFuDu performance and Ghent Fire Department supper